Amusement apparatus



May 7, 1929. a. MELING AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 7, 1929. MELNG 1,712,353

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V/ I v adamrz'mzz Vy May 7, 1929. MELING 1,712,353

1 I AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Oct. 3, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I i yummy/way XNVEN R ATTORNEY May 7, 1929. MEUNG 1,712,353

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed 00" 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I NVENTQR ATTO R N EY Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES GU STAVE MELI NG, F FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT ArrARATUs.

Application filed October 3, 1927. Serial No. 223,719.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement apparatus and has particular reference to a ride for amusement parks and like places.

The primary object of the invention resides in an amusement ride which includesa course for the travel of passenger cars thereover and to which the passengers riding in the cars are given an unusual and exciting experience as the cars aresubiected to lateral and ver-- tical movements during their travel over the course which imparts to the passengers the sensation of an automobile travelling over an uneven roadway.

Another object of the invention is to pro. vide an amusement apparatus in which passenger cars simulating automobiles are used, the chassis of the cars being movable over an even surface while the body is swivelly supported thereon for vertical and lateral movements with respect thereto.

Another object is the provision of an ai'nuscment apparatus including a continuous course for the travel of passenger cars there over, and which cars are propelled by a continuous cable to which the cars may be re- Inovably connected, there being a suitable means for automatically bringing the cars to a stop when reaching the starting point by releasing their connection with the cable, and an automatic meansfifor engaging the cars with the cables when starting the same.

VJith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the course of my-improved amusement apparatus showing passenger cars thereon.

Figure 2 is a top plan View.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through one of the passenger cars.

Figure 4. is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4c-4l of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 55'of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the.

passenger cars. i

' Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the course with the cars removed therefrom.

intervals about the course and which outer V and inner tracks are undulated as at 16 and 17 respectively, for a purpose-to be hereinafter described. The undulations on one side wall 13 may be staggered with respect to the undulations of the tracks on the opposite side wall. The side walls 13 are cutaway at certain points along the course as atlS for a distance below the valleysof the undulations and arranged within the course between the side walls 13 is a cam slot 19 which extends the length of the cut-away portions 18.

Movable over the course are passenger carrying cars 20 simulating automobiles, each of which includes a chassis frame 21, front. wheels 22 and rear wheels 23 which ride over the base .12 andwhich are held in spaced relation to the side walls 13 by rollers 2% which engage said. side walls, and which rollers are journalled inbrackets 25 fixed and. extending from the chassis frame 21L A hood 26 is mounted forward on thechassis frame while abody 27 is movably supported upon the chassis frame rearward ofthe hood.

The body 27 con'ipriscs any number of passenger compartmcntsor seats 28. Journalled on. opposite sides of the body are front flanged wheels 29 and r an" flanged wheels SOfor trave'l over the inner and outer. rails 15 and 14 respectively. Thebody is supported in spaced relation to the chassis frame by an arcuate series of roller-s31 journalled in. and extend ing above the plate 32 forming part of the chassis frame Ql. .The bottom of the body rests upon the rollers for lateral swinging movement with respect to the chassis. EX- tending downward from the bottom of the body through an arcuate slot 33 in the plate 32 is an arm 34L which carries a roller 35 adapted to enterv the cam. slots 19 arranged about the course and by which a lateralmovement is imparted to the body. A bracket 36 is fixed to the front of the body and extends forward from the bottom thereof and has a socket 37 at the free end thereoffor the reception of a ball p 51 into the-path' of the knots on the cable 38 provided on one end of a link 39 pivoted to a king pin 40 fixed to the chassis frame. Equalizing springs 41 encircle the king pin on oppositesides of the link and which permit of the forward and backward rocking of the body during the travel of the wheels 29 and 30 over their respective undulated rails.

From the description thus far, it will be seen'that as the passenger cars travel over the' course, a bumping action is imparted thereto as the wheels 29 and 30 ride over the undulatedrails, thus imparting the sensation of an automobile travelling over an :uneven road. As the cars reach the cam slots 19, the roller 35 entersthe slots and by reason of their serpentine shape, causes the cars to swing from one side to the other. The distance of swinging movement of the body is determined by the walls of the slots 1-9.

For the purpose of propelling the cars over the course, I provide an endless cable 42 having knots 43 provided thereon at suitable spaced intervals. The cable moves within a recess 44 provided inthe inner face of the inner wall 13. The cable 42 passes over a driving pulley wheel 45, driven by a pulley 46 mounted onthe same shaft therewith over which a belt or cable 47 passes. The cable 47 is also looped about a pulley 48 fixed to the shaft of a motor 49. Movable into engagement with the knots 43 on the cable 42 is the forked end 50 of'a sliding rod 51 mounted beneath the chassis frame. An actuating. le-

- ver 52 is pivoted to the plate 32 beneath the hood 26,v and has its lower'end offset as at 53'for normal disposition in the path of a cam block 54 mounted on the base 12 adjacent the starting and stoppingpointmarked A. A spring 55 has one of its ends fixed to the top end of the lever 52 while its other end is attached to a stationary part such as the hood 26. A link 56 has its ends pivotally connecting the inner end of the rod 51 and the lever 52*whereby the spring tends to normally force v the lever to a positionto extend the fork 50 .into the'path of the knots on the cable. As one of the knots engages behind the fork, the

car willbepropelled forward over the course.

' However, when" the cars i have circled the 5 course, the offset end 53 of the lever will come in contact with the cam face on the cam block 54 which forces the lever to the dotted line po- I sition shown. in Figure 7 of the drawings whereupon the rod 51 is retracted against the action of the spring 55, thus causing the i forked'end 50 to move out of the path of the i 1 knots. The cars are now disconnected from f thecable and'remain stationary until the pas- 60' *j gei-s have been discharged and other pas- .the ride, the cars are manually pushed for a sengers permitted to enter. When starting distance'to causethe offset 53'to clear the end of'the cam block 54, at which time the spring 55 actua-tes the lever 52 to extend the fork rod collision between the cars is practically impossible as the cars are always kept at the same distance apart during the entire ride, thus assuring absolute safety to passengels.

' From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have providcd an amusement ride for installation in amusement parks and like places, which provide an unusual sensation to the passengers as the body of the cars are movable vertically and horizontally with respect to the path of travel.

\Vhile I have described what I deem to he the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the Spirit of my invention, and I there fore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to any thing less than the whole of my invent-ion limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is 1. An amusementapparatus including a courseway, passenger cars each embodying a chassis having wheels movable over said courseway and a body ieldingly mounted on said chassis, inner an outer undulated rails arranged along said courseway on opposite sides thereof, the undulations of the inner and outer rails being staggered with respect to each other, and sets of wheels journalled on said body and respectively movable over said inner and outer rails.

2. An amusement apparatus including a courseway, passenger cars each embodying a chassis having wheels movable over said courseway and a body connected thereto by a universal joint, undulated inner and outer rails arranged along said courseway at suitable spaced intervals and disposed on opposite sides thereof, the undulations of the respective inner and outer rails being staggered with respect to each other, sets of wheels journalled on said body and respectively movable over said inner and outer rails, a cam element provided in said courseway intermediate the lengths of rails, and an arm extending from said body in the path of said cam element for co-acting engagement therewith.

3. An amusement apparatus including a courseway of substantially U-shapc in cross section, cars movable over said courseway, each car embodying a chassis having wheels and a body flexibly connected to said chassis, guide rollers provided on said chassis engaging the side walls of said courseway to hold said wheels in spaced relation therefrom, inner and outer undulated. rails provided on the top of the side walls of said courseway. the undulations of the inner and outer. rails being staggered with respect to each other and sets of wheels journalled on said body for respective engagement with said inner and outer uneven rails.

4-. An amusement apparatus including a eourseway of substantially U-shape in cross section, cars movable over said courseway, each 0 r embodying a chassis having Wheels and body flexibly connected to said chassis, ryiide rollers provided on said chassis engaginn; the side wails of said courseway to hold said. wheels in spaced relation therefrom, spaced lengths of inner and outer uneven rails provided on the top of the side walls of said eourseway, sets of wheels ournalled on said body for respective engagement with said in ner and outer uneven rails a cam element within said courseway interiilediate the lengths of rails, and a member extending from said body in the path of said earn ele ment.

5. An amusement apparatus including a courseway having a cam slot arranged therealong, a passenger car movable over said courseway, said passenger car embodying a Wheeled chassis and a body pivoted thereto for lateral horizontal swinging movement with respect to said chassis, and a member extending fron'i said body and movable within said cam slot for imparting lateral swinging movements to said body during the travel of said car over said courseway.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a passenger car comprising a Wheeled chassis, a series of areuately arranged rollers journalled in said chassis, and a body pivoted to said chassis and. supported upon said series of rollers for lateral movement thereover.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

GUSTAVE MELING. 

